Song: The Hacker

The Hacker

A Parody of The Gambler

Based on “The Gambler”, by Justin Sandercoe

From justinguitar.com Beginner’s Songbook

Original Words and Music by Don Schlitz

Intro: | A   | D   | A   | D   |

Verse 1
    A              A            D           A
On a warm summer's evenin' in a cafe out of nowhere,
  A               A               A                 E
I met up with the hacker, we were both too fried to sleep.
      A            A               D             A
So we took turns a-starin' out the window at the darkness,
     D            A      E                   A
Till boredom over-took us    and he began to speak.


Verse 2

He said, "Son, I've made a life out of crackin' people's passwords,

Knowin' what their secrets were by the way they held their eyes.

So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of wifi

For a taste of your coffee I'll give you some advice."


Verse 3

So I handed him my cup and he drank down my last swallow,,

Then he bummed an outlet and asked me for a url.

And the night got deathly quiet and his face lost all expression

He said, "If you're gonna hack the same, boy you gotta learn to crack it right."


Chorus 1
               A            A        D                 A
"You've got to know when to root 'em,     know when to DOS 'em,
Alt: "You've got to know your kernels, know your patches,
D            A                 A            E
Know when to pull the plug and know when to run,
          A        A                 D              A
You never use your roots when you're sittin' at the terminal,
            D               A      E                       A
There'll be time enough for rootin'     when the crackin's done."


Verse 4

"Every hacker knows that the secret to sur - vivin'

Is knowin' what to overflow and knowin' what to underrun,

'Cause every kernels a winner and every kernels a loser

And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."


Verse 5

And when he finished speakin' he turned back toward the window,

Unplugged by the outlet and faded off to sleep.

And somewhere in the darkness the hacker just rooted,

But in his final words I found a method that I could keep.


Chorus 2-4 
As Chorus 1 (Play x3; 2nd without guitar)